Distributed safety network

Abstract

A surgical robotic system includes a control tower or surgical console including a main computer. The system also includes a plurality of surgical robotic arms each of which includes an arm computer. The system also includes a safety network configured to distribute errors from the arm computer of at least one of the plurality of the surgical robotic arms to at least one of the arm computer of at least one other of the plurality of the surgical robotic arms or the main computer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical robotic system including:
 a control tower or a surgical console including a main computer;   a plurality of surgical robotic arms each of which includes an arm computer; and   a safety network configured to distribute errors from the arm computer of at least one of the plurality of the surgical robotic arms to at least one of the arm computer of at least one other of the plurality of the surgical robotic arms or the main computer.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the safety network includes:
 a master safety monitor;   at least one mid-level safety monitor; and   at least one safety group including a plurality of local safety monitors.   
     
     
         3 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 2 , wherein the main computer is configured to execute the master safety monitor. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 2 , wherein the arm computer of at least one of the plurality of the surgical robotic arms is configured to execute the at least one mid-level safety monitor. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the local safety monitors is configured to receive a fault condition. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the local safety monitors includes a local lookup table storing a local response corresponding to the fault condition. 
     
     
         7 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 6 , wherein each of the local safety monitors is configured to propagate the fault condition to the at least one mid-level safety monitor based on the local response. 
     
     
         8 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one mid-level safety monitor includes a mid-level lookup table storing a mid-level response corresponding to the fault condition. 
     
     
         9 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one mid-level safety monitor is configured to propagate the fault condition to the master safety monitor based on the mid-level response. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one mid-level safety monitor is configured to issue a mid-level command to the at least one safety group based on the mid-level response. 
     
     
         11 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 9 , wherein the master safety monitor includes a master lookup table storing a master response corresponding to the fault condition. 
     
     
         12 . The surgical robotic system according to  claim 11 , wherein the master safety monitor is configured to issue a master command to the at least one mid-level safety monitor based on the master response. 
     
     
         13 . A method for distributing errors through a surgical robotic system, the method comprising:
 providing a fault condition of a component of a surgical robotic arm to at least one local safety monitor of a plurality of local safety monitors;   propagating the fault condition to a mid-level safety monitor; and   outputting a response at the mid-level safety monitor based on the fault condition including supplying a command to each of the plurality of local safety monitors.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 accessing a local lookup table stored at the local safety monitor, the local lookup table storing a local response corresponding to the fault condition.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the fault condition is propagated to the mid-level safety monitor based on the local response. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 accessing a mid-level lookup table stored at the mid-level safety monitor, the mid-level lookup table storing a mid-level response corresponding to the fault condition.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 propagating the fault condition to a master safety monitor from the mid-level safety monitor based on the mid-level response.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 issuing a mid-level command from the mid-level safety monitor to at least one safety group based on the mid-level response, the at least one safety group including the plurality of local safety monitors.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 accessing a master lookup table stored at the master safety monitor, the master lookup table storing a master response corresponding to the fault condition.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 issuing a master command from the master safety monitor to the mid-level safety monitor based on the master response.